NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Some of the brightest young minds in the Commonwealth will meet at the Department of Energy's Jefferson Lab on Saturday, Feb. 4, to compete in the Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl. Teams from 22 high schools from across the region are registered for this year's academic competition.
The National Science Bowl tournament - sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy since 1991 – is an annual competition among teams of students. The teams face off in an intense question-and-answer format where contestants are quizzed on their knowledge in all science disciplines, including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics and astronomy as well as math.
"These events champion an interest in science, math and engineering among our nation's youth," notes Jan Tyler, Jefferson Lab's Science Education manager.
The top three teams from this event will earn cash prizes and team trophies for their respective schools. The top team also wins an expenses-paid trip to the Science Bowl Nationals to be held in Washington, D.C., April 26-30.
The public is invited to attend the semifinal and final rounds of the Feb. 4 competition at Jefferson Lab, which will run from 1:30 to about 4:30 p.m. in Jefferson Lab's CEBAF Center auditorium located at 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News. Everyone 16 and older is asked to carry a valid photo I.D. Security guards may perform parcel and vehicle inspections.
"Competition like this, and increased participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs, encourages our nation's youth to become the next generation of scientists and innovators. The pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence provides a starting point for these students to become tomorrow's leaders in scientific discovery. Encouraging and nurturing interest in and knowledge of science, math and technology will help ensure America's strong competitive edge," Tyler adds.
The DOE Office of Science's Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists effort, which manages the National Science Bowl, includes a number of programs designed to train the next generation of scientists and engineers with the goal of helping to maintain the nation's scientific and technological leadership. DOE launched the National Science Bowl program to encourage high-school and middle-school students to choose an education in the sciences and engineering.
Jefferson Lab will also host the Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl on Saturday, March 3.
Virginia high schools registered for the Feb. 4 event include (in alphabetical order):
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School, Virginia Beach
Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville
Floyd E. Kellam High School, Virginia Beach
Hampton High School, Hampton
Hickory High School, Chesapeake
Ideal Schools High School, Loudoun County
Langley High School, McLean
Mount Vernon High School, Alexandria
Nansemond River High School, Suffolk
New Horizons Governor's School for Science and Technology, Hampton
New Kent High School, New Kent
Patrick Henry High School, Ashland
Peninsula Catholic High School, Newport News
Piedmont Governor's School for Mathematics, Science and Technology, Collinsville
Princess Anne High School, Virginia Beach
Robert E. Lee High School, Springfield
Seton School, Manassas
St. Christopher's School, Richmond
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, Alexandria
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria
Warwick High School, Newport News
Woodbridge Senior High School, Woodbridge
Learn more about DOE's National Science Bowl competition at:
http://science.energy.gov/nsb/
Science Bowl rules, the locations of regional high school competitions and sample questions are posted at: http://science.energy.gov/nsb/high-school/high-school-students/